Canyon High volleyball alum, Emma Russell takes over head coach job at Hereford High

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Hereford High School volleyball team enters this upcoming season with a new head coach Emma Russell, who wants to continue Hereford’s tradition and leave a legacy.

As a former player on Canyon High’s volleyball team, she is familiar with Hereford’s volleyball historic powerhouse program which made it hard for her to reject the job offer.

“Hereford has been a really big name in volleyball, they’re always they’ve always been very well respected with lots of wins under their belts, said Russell. So it was really you know a big deal for me to get this opportunity and I feel really honored to be here because you know like I said it’s a big big volleyball town.”

After working as an assistant coach in her previous years, Russell is now in control of her own team this year and will be able to set the standards that she wants her players to meet.

“Coaching them to be good humans is top priority for most coaches, said Russell. We want them to leave our programs as better people, and then you know the wins and the skills and all those are next.”

Russell began working with the team in May and became fired up about this season after seeing the level of which her girls were competing.

“It’s definitely a process that takes a lot of patience. it’s not going to happen in you know a couple of days, so we’ve been working on it slowly but surely, said Russell. “Tournament season is coming up, we’ll really get that chance to be together for you know, consecutive days all day and I’m really looking forward to that to really get to know them. I’ve learned a lot about them and, you know we’ve grown close over the summer, working out together but there’s nothing like the bond you make in tournament season.”

With one of the toughest Districts in Texas scheduled, and a new head coach senior Defensive Specialist Karizma Trevino is eager to see how this season concludes.

”I think just to, no matter how the games go just to not give up and keep pushing through, said senior Defensive Specialist Karizma Trevino. Having coach Russell with us I was kind of nervous coming in but I’m super excited to see how it goes.”

This will be Russell’s first year at head coach, prior to this job she was an assistant coach under Jason Culpepper at Bushland High before moving to West Plains High for two years helping Kaitlyn Cornelius as an assistant coach.

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